


Final Battles and New Beginnings

by raresongbird75



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Identity Reveal, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square, Not Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:42:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24635518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raresongbird75/pseuds/raresongbird75
Summary: One shot- Adrien is at a loss when his father steals his Miraculous.  One phone call to a "very good friend" ends up changing his life for the better.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 3
Kudos: 178





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is my first- a short one-shot that I wrote a long time ago, so is no longer canon compliant. Please comment and leave kudos, and thanks for reading!

_My father is Hawkmoth._

_My father is Hawkmoth._

_My father is Hawkmoth._

The words are bouncing around in Adrien’s head as he stands in the middle of his palatial bedroom, staring out the wall of windows. How much can a teenager’s life change in the span of a few minutes? One moment, a carefree, powerful young superhero is vaulting over the rooftops of Paris, victorious yet again against his arch nemesis; the next moment said nemesis is standing in the hero’s bedroom, watching him drop his transformation and reach into a pocket for an ever-present piece of Camembert. 

At first, Adrien’s thoughts were, _Oh God, how am I gonna get out of this? Maybe I can convince Father that he’s hallucinating?_ But as Gabriel Agreste began speaking, this line of thinking was replaced with the mantra, _my father is Hawkmoth._

_“Well, son,” Gabriel said, almost as if he was teasing, “thank you for confirming my suspicions.” He was standing in the entryway, with a front row seat to the spectacle of Chat Noir leaping in through the open window, landing perfectly in superhero pose, and dropping his transformation in a flash of electric green, leaving behind teen supermodel and model citizen Adrien Agreste. Adrien froze in place, and even Plagg was silent when he would usually be whining for cheese. Both hero and kwami knew there was no explaining this away. Adrien braced himself for the riot act, the inevitable demand that he give up his Miraculous, and the screaming match that would come after Adrien refused to do so, but Gabriel did not seem enraged at his perfect son’s deception. In fact, the man’s face was twisted into a sinister smirk, an expression Adrien had never seen his father wear._

_It filled him with dread._

_Gabriel continued speaking, ignoring the gobsmacked expressions of his son and the cat-like kwami floating beside him. “I must admit, you were clever to outwit me all this time. How did you manage to be in two places at once?” Adrien remembered Wayhem playing decoy while he transformed and defeated Gorizilla, but said nothing._

_“Well,” Gabriel said, “I suppose that doesn’t matter in the end. What matters is the Black Cat Miraculous has been within my reach from the beginning.” Gabriel began to walk purposefully forward, his steely gaze now focused on the unremarkable silver ring on Adrien’s right hand._

_Adrien visibly recoiled, pulling his hand close to his chest, and pondered the meaning of the words his father had just stated. ‘_ From the beginning?’ What is he talking about?

_Gabriel kept stalking forward. Fight or flight had kicked in now. Adrien’s mind was no longer forming coherent thoughts, only one-word responses, the loudest of which was screaming at him to_ RUN _._

_Plagg, it seemed, was not so affected. He flew in front of Adrien and hissed at Gabriel, which made the designer hesitate in his advance. Plagg’s ears were flat against his head, his tiny tail was lashing about, and he bared his fangs as he shouted, “You stay back! I won’t let you lay a finger on my owner, Hawkmoth!” He spat the villain’s name as if it was the worst piece of cheese he’d ever tasted._

_The mention of the enemy snapped Adrien to attention. He looked at Plagg, then at his father, and suddenly, the lightbulb lit up._

My father is Hawkmoth.

_Gabriel seemed to sense his son’s epiphany, and his worried expression shifted back to its villainous smirk._

Lifting a hand to his left cheek, Adrien tenderly touched the large bruise he knew was forming. His mind was now beginning to register that his father had actually punched him. Adrien had been so stunned by the blow he hadn’t even felt Gabriel remove the ring from his finger, nor heard Plagg’s cry of protest as he was absorbed. The boy now clutched his right hand, looking down at the empty space where his Miraculous usually rested. He felt naked without it. Vulnerable, and worst of all, completely alone. Before he knew it, Adrien was a sobbing mess on the floor of his bedroom, his loud cries of despair echoing off the steel panels now covering both entrances.

Adrien thought he knew what it felt like to be trapped, but now he truly had no means of escape. No doors, and now no Plagg. His bedroom was now his cage, and the reality was far worse than any nightmare conjured up by an akumatized child. And, by proxy, his own father.

After a few minutes of crying, Adrien sat upright and wiped his tears away. “Stop it, Adrien,” he told himself out loud. “Enough crying. You have to think now! What would Ladybug do?”

The thought of Ladybug brought Adrien immense comfort and hope. He remembered that he would never be alone as long as he had her. She would know what to do. He had to figure out some way to reach her without his father- no, Hawkmoth- finding out. The Ladyblog was out of the question. He already knew Gabriel followed it, and now assumed the villain would follow it obsessively for news of his enemies. There were theories galore about their identities on the site, and Alya would grow suspicious if Adrien asked her to send out a message to Ladybug from him.

Adrien pulled out his phone. Gabriel hadn’t taken it when he’d locked Adrien up, saying something about “maintaining normality” as he’d sauntered out. The thought of going to school, attending his fencing lessons, or a photoshoot as if today had never happened made Adrien want to hiss as Plagg had done earlier. He scrolled through his contact list until he found Master Fu, listed as “Mr. Chen, occupation: Chinese tutor” for security reasons. Adrien was about to hit the call button when the mantra stopped him dead in his tracks.

_My father is Hawkmoth._

And then, a connection. _I can’t call the Guardian of the Miraculous on my phone while I’m in Hawkmoth’s clutches! I’d lead him straight to Master Fu, not to mention all the other kwamis!_ Adrien knew Gabriel kept tabs on his mobile phone; just another way of controlling him, as well as keeping the GPS feature active 24/7. No, if he was going to call for help, it would have to be to a friend. Someone he could trust implicitly. Perhaps even with his deepest secret.

Adrien continued scrolling down the contact list. Nino? No, he wouldn’t be able to keep it from Alya. He told her _everything_ , a trait which Adrien usually admired in his best friend, but today it was the disqualifier. He’d already decided that the moderator of the Ladyblog was not to know of this. And so the scrolling continued.

Chloé? A hard, fast, no. Sure, she may be able to actually get in touch with Ladybug, but she would do it in her usual tactless fashion and alert the enemy straight away. Furthermore, Gabriel knew that Adrien was still close with Chloé, and he knew how close her home was to the mansion. He’d be expecting Adrien to run to his childhood friend for safety. But no, Chloé was not a safe option at all. As the despair began to creep up behind Adrien to consume him again, he noticed a name just above “Mr. Chen.”

Marinette.

Adrien stared at her contact info, weighing this new option in his head. Could Marinette get ahold of Ladybug for him? He thought of how helpful his class representative is, how she would drop everything for a friend in need. Gorizilla came to mind again, and his exciting adventure with Marinette, running through the streets of Paris to escape his crazy fans. And when he’d wanted to ask Kagami on a date, she’d agreed to come along to help him feel more comfortable. “You’re our everyday Ladybug,” he’d told her on Heroes Day. And he’d meant it. 

Before he could talk himself out of it, his thumb had pressed the green call button, and his phone was dialing. She answered on the third ring.

“H-hey, Adrien,” she greeted in a small, timid voice. Her typical self.

“Marinette,” Adrien replied, deciding to keep this straightforward. “I don’t have a lot of time, and I need you to listen carefully. I’m in trouble, and I need help.”

Marinette didn’t stutter when speaking this time. “What is it?” she demanded. “Are you alright? Tell me what’s going on! What do you need?”

It was a relief for Adrien to hear Marinette so determined to help him. She almost sounded like Ladybug. He had made the right choice. “I’m okay, for now,” he began. “But listen, and promise not to freak out when I tell you this.” He paused, and quickly added, “And, this conversation is for your ears only. You can’t tell anyone what I’m about to tell you. Not your parents, and especially not Nino or Alya. Can you do that for me, Marinette?”

Marinette’s reply was almost instant. “Yes,” she said simply.

Adrien breathed a sigh of relief, then started his story. “Thanks, Marinette. You’re a good friend. So, here’s my situation.” Adrien took a calming breath, then spoke aloud the words that had been dominating his thoughts. “My father is Hawkmoth.”

Adrien paused, but Marinette was silent on the other end of the call. She was waiting for him to continue. “And…” Adrien took another pause. He was not supposed to reveal his secret identity. It was dangerous for him and for Ladybug. But, he figured, _Hawkmoth already knows who I am, why not someone I actually trust?_

“And,” Adrien continued, quieter this time, “I’m Chat Noir. My father found out my secret identity, and he took my Miraculous. He has me trapped in my house. I need you to find a way to get a message to Ladybug. Tell her what I told you. She’ll know what to do. Do you think you can help me, Marinette?”

Adrien waited in agonizing silence for Marinette to reply. He could almost hear the gears turning in her brain as she formulated a plan. Yet another reason his friend reminded Adrien of his Lady. When she finally spoke, she didn’t give Adrien the yes or no he was looking for. Instead, she simply stated, “I’m coming over there.”

Adrien’s eyes went wide. “Marinette, no!” he exclaimed. “It’s too dangerous, you can’t come here!” But she had already hung up. 

Adrien looked at his phone in shock. Why would Marinette come here? What could she possibly do against a supervillain? She may be an amazing person, but she was still just a normal girl. How could Marinette help him escape and defeat Hawkmoth? He tried to call her back, but she didn’t pick up.

Just as he was leaving a third voicemail on Marinette’s phone begging her to stay away, he heard a loud THUNK on his window wall. Adrien’s phone fell out of his hand when he saw Ladybug hanging out there by her yo-yo string, her Lucky Charm in hand, which looked like a long piece of wire. She had a look of intense fury on her face, a look he had never seen before. She shoved the wire in between the window and its frame, a little harder than was necessary, but it did the trick. The wire caught the latch, and the window swung open, allowing Paris’ superheroine to swing inside Adrien’s bedroom and land perfectly in superhero pose.

“Ladybug?” Adrien asked, his head reeling. He didn’t quite know what to say. 

Ladybug straightened up and looked at him intently, assessing his state of being, from his eyes, red and puffy from crying, and his bruised, swelling cheek, all the way down to his orange _Gabriel_ sneakers. Then she asked, “Do you have your duffel bag here with you?”

Adrien blinked dumbly, not sure why she would be asking for a duffel bag, and pointed to the bag holding his fencing gear, sitting on the floor by the foot of his bed. He could almost smell rotting Camembert just looking at the thing. He had even caught Plagg napping in there among the dirty socks he hadn’t yet transferred to the laundry hamper a few times. As much as Adrien loves his kwami, he could be pretty disgusting sometimes. 

Ladybug didn’t seem to notice the smell as she picked up the bag and dumped Adrien’s fencing gear onto the floor, then turned on her heel and marched into his closet. Adrien discovered her pulling t-shirts and jeans off the shelves at random and tossing them into the bag. Out of embarrassment, Adrien opened the drawer containing his socks and boxers, pulling out a few pairs of each and placing them at the very bottom of the pile Ladybug had made.

Seeing he had done this, the superheroine then left the closet and headed into the bathroom, picking up Adrien’s toothbrush from its holder and rummaging through drawers for other toiletries. Adrien finally had the sense to help gather the things he knew were essential and put them in the duffel bag himself. 

As his Lady zipped the bag closed, Adrien finally asked her, “Ladybug, what is all of this for?”

She looked at him incredulously, then her expression softened as she replied, “For you, Kitty. I’m getting you out of here. I’m gonna take you somewhere you’ll be safe, where Hawkmoth won’t find you. Then we’ll figure out a plan from there. Does that sound okay?”

She was asking his permission to save him from this prison. From his father. Adrien didn’t think he could love Ladybug any more than he did in this moment. He smiled and said to her, “Yes, m’lady. That sounds more than okay.” He would follow her anywhere. She knew this.

Ladybug smiled at him in return, slung the bulging duffle bag over her shoulder, and extended her hand to him. “Well then, we’d better get going, partner,” she said.

Adrien was about to accept the hand she offered when he remembered, “Oh my god, Marinette!” Ladybug stiffened in surprise at his outburst. “Ladybug,” Adrien pleaded with her, “have you seen my friend Marinette? I called her and told her my identity, I asked her to call you and she said she was coming over here! I hope you told her to stay away! We’ve gotta find her, she could be in danger-“

“Adrien,” Ladybug cut him off calmly, putting one hand on his uninjured cheek. “Marinette is fine,” she continued. “I can’t tell you everything right now, but I know she’s safe. Trust me.”

And with that, Adrien’s fear for his friend vanished. Of course he would trust his Lady. She offered him her hand again, and this time he took it. She led him to the window, then pulled him close to her side so she could throw her yo-yo, and for the first time that afternoon, Adrien felt completely safe. He wasn’t sure where they were going, or what trouble would come their way once Hawkmoth discovered he was missing, but he knew that Ladybug and Chat Noir would be able to face anything, as long as they were together.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to continue my one-shot because it didn't feel finished. Sorry for the time skip, but I wasn't feeling confident enough to write an extended action sequence. Maybe next time!

Ladybug and Chat Noir’s defeat of Hawkmoth had happened loudly, and very dramatically. It began with a slap to the face, and ended with Gabriel Agreste and Nathalie Sancoeur being led out of the Agreste Mansion in handcuffs. In their search of the mansion and its grounds, police discovered Hawkmoth and Mayura’s lair, as well as the underground mausoleum where Emilie Agreste lay entombed. A team of doctors was brought in to assess her condition, and they deemed her alive, but comatose, possibly in a vegetative state. They held little hope of her ever regaining consciousness. And even if she did wake up, she was very likely to have permanent neurological deficits. Regardless, she would never be the same as she had been before. To avoid altering Mrs. Agreste’s condition, it was decided that she remain in the capsule, and the capsule remain in the mausoleum, with doctors and nurses visiting every day.

Adrien and his bodyguard were brought in by police for questioning, and quickly cleared of all suspicion of being involved with Hawkmoth and Mayura’s plans. Afterward, it was decided by a social worker and the Agreste family lawyer that, being a minor, Adrien would be cared for in the interim by his bodyguard, who accepted the task with a rare smile. The lawyer also assured Adrien that his trust fund was safe and could not be used to pay damages to Hawkmoth’s victims. Once he turned eighteen, the money, the trademarked _Gabriel_ brand and the international fashion house would belong to Adrien.

Gabriel was surprisingly cooperative with the police. He detailed everything that had happened. First learning about the Miraculous, the fateful trip to Tibet where he and Emilie had found not one but two magic brooches in the ruined Guardians’ Temple as well as the grimoire, Emilie’s progressive illness after using the Peacock, and Gabriel’s ultimate decision to draw out Ladybug and Chat Noir and take their Miraculous. No one asked him if he knew Ladybug and Chat Noir’s identities, and Gabriel did not divulge the information.

He claimed that Nathalie had known of his plan from the beginning, but she was refusing to answer any questions, even with a lawyer present. The prosecutor warned Adrien that Nathalie was showing all signs of pleading “not guilty,” which meant Adrien would have to testify against her in open court. With Gabriel on trial for his own crimes, Adrien would become the prosecution’s star witness. He tried not to think about what that meant.

Ladybug brought the Butterfly and Peacock Miraculouses and the grimoire back to Master Fu, and explained the situation regarding Adrien’s mother. He vowed to begin work to repair the peacock brooch, with the hope that this would help her. In the meantime, Adrien went to the mausoleum to visit his mother every day. He told her about his life, all the changes she had missed, and always ended the visits with a kiss on her cheek and the whispered words, “I love you, Mom.” Every day, as he performed this routine, a bit of the weight that Adrien had been carrying on his shoulders since his mother’s disappearance was lifted. 

Two weeks after Hawkmoth’s defeat, Adrien arrived at school to find a note in his locker, attached to a bag from the Dupain-Cheng bakery. 

_Dear Adrien,_

_I’m sorry I haven’t done this sooner, but I wasn’t really ready before. Now that things have calmed down, I think it’s time for me to make good on my promise._

_I want you to know that I don’t expect anything from you, except that we stay friends. If we end up as more, well, I guess we can figure that part out after you know my name._

_If you’re able, meet me in front of our statue during lunch break. I’ll be wearing Ladybug-patterned rain boots and carrying a black umbrella. I hope you can make it. There’s something I really need to tell you._

_Love,_

_Ladybug_

Adrien read and reread that note until the bell rang for classes to begin. He sat down next to Nino with a huge, dopey grin on his face, and opened the bag to find his favorite, pain au chocolat, as well as a cheese Danish for Plagg.

_How did she know?_

Adrien could barely concentrate in class. He kept bouncing his leg or drumming his fingers or twirling his ring, and Nino kept elbowing him in the ribs to make him stop. Adrien didn’t really mind- in a few short hours he would be meeting his Lady.

As soon as the bell dismissed the students for lunch break, Adrien shot out of his seat and began racing to his locker to collect his jacket. He knew Plagg would rip him a new one for running so fast and tossing him around in Adrien’s school bag, but he didn’t care. Right now, the only thing that mattered was Ladybug. 

The sky had been sprinkling steady drops all morning, but now the rain was picking up. The air was cool, and the park smelled pleasingly of wet grass. As he rounded a corner, Adrien could see the statue of him and Ladybug, standing proud and victorious in the middle of Plas de Voges Square. The base of the monument was surrounded by flowers and small gifts, hand-drawn pictures of him and Ladybug and heartfelt notes, tokens of gratitude from the people of Paris. But this moving sight wasn’t what made Adrien’s knees go weak. It was the sight of a girl, wearing Ladybug-patterned rain boots and holding a black umbrella. She was here. She had come.

_Ladybug._

Adrien felt his heart swell at the sight of her, admiring their statue. Just as she said she would be. Of course she was; his Lady always kept her promises.

_Master Fu’s massage parlor was lovely- filled with traditional Chinese décor and it smelled just enough like mint to be pleasant instead of sterile. Adrien and Ladybug were sitting on the floor cushions around Master Fu’s table, drinking tea and scrolling through their downloaded copy of the Guardian’s grimoire, trying to decide which allies, if any, they would need for their final confrontation with Hawkmoth and Mayura._

_Adrien kept glancing over at Ladybug, who seemed not to notice how unfocused he was. Maybe she was giving him a pass, considering the trauma he’d been through, but that had been two days ago. She was ignoring him, and the red-and-black-spotted elephant in the room._

_Every time he’d seen her since she dropped him off here that day, she’d been behind a mask while he’d been himself. If her earrings began their countdown, she would escape to the bathroom to feed Tikki then return, fully suited-up._

_Adrien didn’t blame her. It was extremely dangerous for her to tell him her identity now. If Hawkmoth did manage to find him, he would most certainly be used as leverage against Ladybug, and Adrien could never put his Lady in that position because he knew what she would choose._

_He looked at her again, this time to meet her bluebell eyes. He held her gaze as she asked him, “What’s wrong?”_

_“M’Lady,” Adrien began, in a small, unsure voice, “do you think you’ll ever tell me who you really are?”_

_Ladybug’s eyes went wide behind her mask, shocked that he would ask this of her. Her eyes began to glisten, and Adrien immediately regretted his careless question. Of course she could never tell him. His identity was compromised. She would have to find another Chat Noir to take his place. It was the wisest course of action, Adrien knew. He looked away now, in pain at the thought of never seeing Plagg again, never wielding his baton, never fighting alongside his beloved Lady again. Even worse, watching a different Chat Noir beside her, fighting with her, protecting her._

_Now Adrien’s eyes were welling up, but Ladybug surprised him again when she gently took his chin in her hand and tilted his head up so he would meet her eyes. When he looked up, he saw not sadness in her gaze but fondness, and, dare he say it, a deep and unyielding love._

_“Adrien Agreste,” Ladybug said, her voice unwavering, certain, “I make you this promise, right here, right now.” She took her hand from his face and held both of his hands in hers. It was strange to be touching her like this without his gloves. “After Gabriel and Nathalie are behind bars, when you are completely safe from them, I promise I will tell you who I am. I’ve said this before- you’re more than my partner, you’re my friend. I can’t lose you now that I’ve found you, Kitty. And I promise you, very soon, you’ll find me too.”_

Adrien was pulled out of this sweet memory by a rumble of thunder just overhead. He’d been staring at Ladybug the whole time he’d been thinking about her promise, everything about her face, her voice… those had been the most beautiful words anyone had ever said to him. They’d inspired him more than she knew, or maybe she had known all along.

Suddenly very nervous, Adrien slowly began walking through the steady rainfall to approach the girl who had stolen his heart that sunny day, not so long ago. When she literally knocked him off his feet and sent him crashing to the ground, only to catch him, like she always did. And the next day, when he saw all that she was capable of; her strength, her bravery in confronting Hawkmoth, and her kindness for Ivan and Myléne, and all of Hawkmoth’s victims after them. Adrien made his own promise that day, that no matter who was beneath that mask, he would love her unconditionally. Come what may, Ladybug would always be the owner of his heart.

And now was his moment to tell her.

She hadn’t turned to acknowledge him yet; she was still staring at their statue. Had she not heard him coming?

Plagg chose this moment to leave the school bag and sit on Adrien’s shoulder. “Well?” he asked, “What are you waiting for? That’s the love of your life right there! It’s time for my suffering to end!” Adrien swallowed, mustered all of his courage, and took the last few steps until he was standing just a couple of feet away from the love of his life.

“M’Lady?” Adrien asked.

She slowly turned to face him, and Adrien couldn’t stifle his gasp.

Marinette.

Adrien stared at her, gaping. It all made sense now. He had seen Ladybug in Marinette already, but now he saw Marinette in Ladybug- her compassion, her fire, her creativity, even the occasional clumsiness. How had he not seen it before? Her hair was the same- pigtails, dark as night. Bluebell eyes, looking at him now, so full of happiness and love. The disguise was gone now, leaving behind the girl he’d loved since he was thirteen years old, a clumsy kitten learning how to be a hero.

Marinette took a careful step towards him, still smiling, and lifted her umbrella over his head, which was now soaked by the rain. Once again, Adrien heard the rolling of thunder in the heavens. He was reminded of the first day he met Marinette, when he had explained Chloé’s prank, and offered her his umbrella as an apology. It occurred to him that this was that very same umbrella. She had even chosen a rainy day to make it all truly complete. It made him smile to think about how clever his Lady is. 

He didn’t even realize he was crying until Marinette reached up to tenderly wipe the tears from his cheeks. He sniffed and mumbled, “Sorry.” 

Marinette’s eyes held concern. “What for, Kitty?” she asked. God, he loved it when she called him that. He gasped out a laugh and replied, “For not finding you sooner. I’m such a dummy!”

He heard a small giggle, not Marinette’s, more like the tinkling of wind chimes. Then Tikki appeared on Marinette’s shoulder, mirth in her eyes. “To be fair, she didn’t know who you were until you called her that day and told her!” she laughed. Marinette blushed and hardened her gaze at Tikki, who only managed to look smug.

“Well hey there, Sugarcube!” Plagg said, flying over to Marinette in order to pester Tikki. “It’s about time our two lovebugs figured out their issues, isn’t it?”

Adrien stiffened at Plagg’s nickname for them, his cheeks reddened, and his eyes went wide. Marinette side-eyed Plagg, then turned her smug gaze to Adrien. She waited for him to speak.

_Oh. Glaciator._

Adrien remembered how upset he’d been when Ladybug hadn’t met him on the roof that night. He’d sought comfort in his friend, only to find out she’d also been stood up. He’d outright confessed to having real feelings for Ladybug.

_To Ladybug!_

And she liked someone else. 

Adrien’s gaze began to drop to the ground, and he felt different tears coming, but Marinette’s voice stopped his racing thoughts.

“Adrien, didn’t you read my note?”

He looked back up at her, a bit annoyed that she was rubbing salt in the wound. “Yeah,” he said.

Marinette’s eyes were soft, careful. “So, what’s the problem?”

“Luka.”

His Lady looked confused. “What about Luka?” she asked. 

“It’s him, right? The boy you like.” Adrien looked away from her, his voice was full of ice and all the while his heart was breaking. “It’s fine, Marinette. I know you’ve never felt the same way about me as I have about you. But I want you to be happy, even if that means you’re with him and not me. Don’t worry. I’ll always be your friend and your partner if that’s what you want.”

Marinette stared at him, mouth open in shock. Tikki rolled her eyes, and Plagg let out a long-suffering groan, then leapt off Marinette’s shoulder back to Adrien’s, and bit his owner on the earlobe.

“Ow! Plagg, what was that for?!” Adrien cried.

Plagg yelled in Adrien's ear, “Because you haven’t learned anything, have you? Get it through your thick head! You’re the one she likes! This whole time, Ladybug rejected Chat’s feelings because she’s in love with pretty-boy Adrien Agreste! Happy now?”

Adrien’s eyes went wide and he turned his gaze back to Marinette, who’s entire face was now as red as her suit. She avoided his gaze, glancing up at their stone figures, darkened by rain, her lips pinched together in a thin line.

“Troublemaker,” Adrien remembered. “The pictures. You said it was because you’re really into fashion…” Adrien’s voice was playful, a smirk playing on his features that was absolutely Chat Noir. “My Lady, you were lying!” he mocked. 

Marinette whipped her head back to meet his gaze, looking affronted, but then she saw the glee on his face. She rolled her eyes and sighed. “Silly Kitty,” she remarked.

They stared at each other for another moment, trying and failing to keep their smiles in check. Then, at exactly the same time, both superheroes and both kwamis burst out laughing. The distance between them finally closed, both figuratively and literally. Adrien wrapped his arms around Marinette and held her tightly to him, laughing and crying and begging the universe to freeze time so this moment would never end. Marinette’s arms went around his waist, he felt her shaking against his chest with laughter, and Adrien had never been happier. He remembered how they’d danced together at Chloé’s party, and he slowly began swaying back and forth, that song, their song he decided, playing in his head. 

Adrien didn’t need to tell his Lady how happy he was. She knew. And when he looked into her eyes again, he didn’t need to ask permission to kiss her. Her gaze, so full of love, for _him_ , told him everything.

When their lips met in their first kiss, their first _real_ kiss, Adrien didn’t even notice that Marinette dropped their umbrella. The rain drenched them both, thunder rumbled loudly in the sky, and, despite the long and twisted road that brought them here, in that moment, everything was perfect.


End file.
